Football preview | H-F's ascension not complete without victory against Lincoln-Way East

September 14, 2011|By Mike Helfgot | Special to the Tribune

With the volume of quality athletes walking the hallways of Homewood-Flossmoor, a quick improvement seemed likely.

It would have been difficult to foresee Homewood-Flossmoor growing this good this soon.

A one-win team in 2009, Homewood-Flossmoor advanced to the Class 8A semifinals in Craig Buzea's first year as coach last fall, has outscored its three 2011 opponents 165-13 and is ranked No. 7 by the Tribune.

A rapid transformation, to be sure, but one that is not quite complete. Homewood-Flossmoor can't be considered the premier program in the Southwest Suburban Conference until it knocks off No. 6 Lincoln-Way East.

The Vikings will have their chance Friday in a matchup of two of the more dominant teams in the area through three weeks.

"They are very, very good," Buzea said. "We aspire to be them. If you watch our team and you watch them, you see the difference in a 10-year program and a year-and-a-half. They are very strong fundamentally and well-coached in every phase of the game. I think they are as good as any team in the state."

Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar, whose Griffins have won at least nine games every year since 2005, has said this could be his most explosive offensive yet.

Quarterback Blake Winkler, an Ivy League recruit, is off to a sparkling start. After throwing seven touchdown passes in the first two games, he threw three more touchdown passes -- including two to Illinois-bound receiver J.J. Robertson -- in the Griffins' 38-7 win over Lockport last Friday. Robertson was playing his first game since serving a suspension.

"This could be the best offense we prepared for in my 20 years as a head coach," Buzea said. "They're that good. It is really ridiculous what they can throw out there. They got Robertson back, just what they needed. Win or lose, we figure we'll see where we're at and go from there."

X and O factor: Look for H-F to try to establish running back Taje Smith in an effort to keep Winkler and the Lincoln-Way East offense on the sideline. Williams may look to call his own number on the ground as well.

FYI: Lincoln-Way East has a 7-1 edge in the series since first fielding a team in 2001. The teams didn't meet in 2006 or 2007.